The best of the European press

Security

Denmark

Teaching terrorists to be good

8 January 2010
Presseurop
Politiken
Politiken, 8 January 2010

Over the last few years, courts in Denmark have imprisoned seven Danish Muslims for planning terrorist attacks, but authorities are concerned that they may resume plotting once they are released from jail. Now the government has come up with a plan "to re-educate terrorists." According to a front page report in Politiken, the liberal-conservative coalition wants to impose an obligatory "release programme" to ensure that they change their minds about the use of violence. For example, imams will be be sent to visit inmates to explain to them that terrorism is not the solution. Quoted in the Politiken report, Conservative MP Naser Khader insists that "it is important to bear in mind that terrorist offenders may still present a threat when they are released from prison." Both the extreme-right Danish People's Party and the Social Democrats have also voiced their support for the plan.